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Happy voting day, Downtown. If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, make sure to get that done today. This week: Mastro's Ocean Club is scheduled to open November 6 inside The CTR, the former CNN Center, with seafood towers and steaks served on 450-degree plates. Georgia-Pacific is also quietly exploring a move out of its Downtown tower, and the latest State of Downtown report has some numbers worth chewing on.

- News — Georgia-Pacific is exploring a move from its Downtown tower, the Dream fell in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals, and Invest Atlanta is holding TAD meetings Nov. 4 to 10.
- Business — Mastro's Ocean Club is scheduled to open November 6 in The CTR, with Atlanta-only dishes like jerk-spiced grouper and pecan pie.
- Events — Dave Chappelle, Willy Wonka at COSM, Usher and Chris Brown, the Sacred Pride reception at Gallery FC, and Bach + Brahms (Nov. 5–7) fill the week, with Hawks home games against the Wizards, Nets and Lakers Nov. 6, 7 and 9.
- Government — City Council committees backed $25 million in water upgrades and extended the self-storage moratorium, and everything went to the full council on November 2.
- Construction — State Farm Arena's Central Energy Plant is getting an overhaul, Centennial Olympic Park is adding shade canopies, and Downtown Connector repaving is in its final stretch.

Let's dive in.

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Angelo Fuster, press secretary for Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, dies at 80
Fuster worked on campaigns with figures including President Jimmy Carter and Mayor Maynard Jackson during a long career in Atlanta politics. He was also a founder of the Government In Exile group, which has met at Manuel's Tavern since the 1980s.

Georgia-Pacific could leave its Downtown tower for another part of Atlanta
Georgia-Pacific recently canceled a planned residential conversion within its office tower. The company is now quietly exploring leaving the building altogether.

Angel Reese pledges Dream will make it back to WNBA Finals
Atlanta lost 68-63 to Golden State in Game 7 on Saturday night, with Reese recording eight points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Gabby Williams scored 28 of her 30 points in the second half and was named MVP, and Reese said afterward, "We'll be back."

Fulton County officials show how they're preparing for election; Sec. of State says elections secure
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send monitors to multiple Georgia counties, including Fulton, and county officials said they do not know how many will attend. Fulton Elections Director Nadine Williams said voting equipment is not connected to the internet, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said an Anthropic AI agent accessed only publicly available information on Georgia's Data Hub.

Atlanta to host community meetings on major TAD extension plan
Invest Atlanta will hold meetings from Nov. 4 to 10 for the Eastside, Westside, Hollowell/MLK, Perry Bolton, Campbellton Road, Stadium Neighborhoods and Metropolitan Parkway districts. Updated redevelopment plans, prompted by a June audit, are expected in early 2027.

Atlanta State of Downtown report shows growing residency, infrastructure investment
Downtown Atlanta Inc. reported visitation has returned to 85% of pre-pandemic levels, and more than 34,000 people live downtown. An additional 201 multi-family housing units have been added since the start of the year, and retail space in south downtown has a 90% occupancy rate.

BUSINESS

Mastro's Ocean Club opening November 6 at The CTR in Downtown Atlanta — The fine dining seafood and steak restaurant is scheduled to open November 6 in The CTR, the former CNN Center building, with chef Richard Lee leading the kitchen and a menu that includes seafood towers, a 14-ounce filet, and Atlanta-only jerk-spiced grouper and pecan pie.

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Tuesday, November 3
- Allan Rayman | The Masquerade
- Surely Tempo | Wheelies Tiny Donuts
- Hidden In Plain Sight: The Reality of Young Adult Homelessness | 75 Piedmont (Citizens Trust Building)
- SCI Concert: Society of Composers, Inc. | Florence Kopleff Recital Hall
- Honey Revenge and Dead Poet Society | Heaven at The Masquerade

Wednesday, November 4
- Dave Chappelle | State Farm Arena
- 2026 FORWARD Conference presented by Nukolo House X City of Atlanta Mayors Office of Cultural Affairs | Atlanta Cultural Exchange @CTR Atlanta
- SACRED PRIDE CELEBRATION | GALLERY FC
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory | COSM Atlanta
- Daniel Sloss | The Tabernacle

Thursday, November 5
- Graphic Design Studio: Hidden Histories | Atlanta Central Library – Fulton County Library
- Knox | The Masquerade
- Qendresa: Date Night Tour | The Masquerade – Purgatory
- Den Music Festival- Discover Underground Hip Hop | The Faux Rest
- Bach + Brahms (Nov. 5–7) | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- Ethics Is a Community A-FAIR: Ethics and Housing Stability Resource Fair | 25 Park Place Building (SunTrust Tower)
- The R&B Tour - Starring Usher Raymond & Chris Brown | Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Friday, November 6
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards | State Farm Arena
- Hawthorne Heights | The Masquerade
- Acoustic & Infused: November Live Music (30+) | Koncept House
- 2026 Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference | College of Law
- Coca-Cola Film Series: Waiting to Exhale in Concert | Fox Theatre

Saturday, November 7
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets | State Farm Arena
- Cabbagetown Chomp & Stomp | Cabbagetown Neighborhood
- Georgia Tech Football vs. Louisville | Bobby Dodd Stadium
- NieR: Orchestra Concert | Fox Theatre

Monday, November 9
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Lakers | State Farm Arena

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Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

Atlanta City Council

The Zoning Committee voted 6-0 to extend the self-storage moratorium by 60 days in Office-Institutional districts, and it recommended denial of a major site plan expansion for a planned housing development and a rezoning to allow a park-for-hire facility. The Finance/Executive Committee unanimously backed the FY 2027 property tax rates, advanced $1.1 million over three years for the Urban League's youth grant program, and held a $3.33 million Trees Atlanta contract for more information. At the City Utilities Committee, members recommended $25 million for water distribution upgrades, $22.38 million for utility relocation tied to state transportation projects, and $15.6 million more for Watershed Management program management, all by 4-0 votes. They held a proposed ban on septic tanks in new commercial developments, so that one is still open. The Transportation Committee advanced $36.84 million in fire safety work for Hartsfield-Jackson's Concourse B and held a $2.88 million street resurfacing contract plus a six-month extension for the city's parking enforcement operator. The Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee approved a $6.5 million AT&T contract to upgrade the E911 network, and it held a proposal to curb anonymous housing code complaints. The Community Development/Human Services Committee had more than $24 million in federal HUD housing grants and a proposal to reserve half of BeltLine tax allocation funds for one corridor on its agenda, though the minutes don't yet cover outcomes. Everything the committees approved went to the full council on Nov. 2. On Monday, Nov. 2, the Committee on Council approved Dr. Annette Hall's appointment to the Human Relations Commission and held both a rewrite of the council's public comment and proclamation rules and a charter change that would require a councilmember sponsor on all legislation. The full council met that afternoon with the FY 2027 property tax rates, the self-storage moratorium extension and the water and sewer spending on its agenda, but results haven't been posted yet.

Atlanta NPU-M

The neighborhood planning unit's agenda included two rezoning requests that would swap light industrial sites for dense apartment buildings with ground-floor shops. A related land use amendment would also allow high-density mixed-use development along the BeltLine corridor. The group also took up an alcohol license for a proposed downtown nightclub, along with several setback variances and special event permits for festivals at Historic Fourth Ward Park. NPU votes are advisory, but they carry weight when the city's zoning bodies weigh these projects. Only the agenda is posted so far, and minutes haven't been published for this meeting, so the outcomes aren't known yet.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education

The October 28 session was a general body meeting of the APS Student Advisory Council, and the record shows no minutes. The agenda included discussion of student support efforts, using data to guide financial investments, and planning for the council's standing committees. The meeting produced no recorded votes, contracts, or policy changes. You won't see any direct effect on school budgets or district operations from this one, but it shows how students are being brought into conversations about school priorities. The Board of Education met Monday, Nov. 2, with first reads of proposed fall 2027 attendance zones for more than a dozen west and southwest Atlanta schools, including Douglass and Washington high schools, along with the board's draft 2027 legislative priorities. Its consent agenda included temporary construction easements for the city and a school bus purchase. Minutes aren't posted yet.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta NPU
- Lunch Box (108 Pryor St) — An application for a new nightclub alcohol license for Lunch Box at this address is on the agenda for review.
- Khao Thai Isan (250 Martin Luther King Junior Dr SW) — An alcohol license application for the new restaurant Khao Thai Isan is currently proposed for community review.
- Ace on Auburn Bar & Grill (253 Auburn Ave) — A change of ownership alcohol license application for Ace on Auburn Bar & Grill is on the agenda for advisory consideration.

Meetings This Week
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Nov-04, 10:00 AM | key topics: $45.5 million jail facility design contract, 2026 school board millage rate adoption, Westside affordable housing funding

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 1 State Farm Dr NW: Commercial alteration filed to renovate and upgrade the Central Energy Plant at State Farm Arena. The plant keeps the building cooled and heated, so this is the kind of behind-the-scenes work that keeps event nights running smoothly. It's still in review.
- 240 Peachtree St NW: Two alteration permits cover the interior subdivision of an existing showroom, one for Agio Showroom and one for Foremost Home, Inc. The space is getting carved into separate tenant suites, so expect new showroom neighbors.
- 101 Nerem St NW: Electrical permit filed for a Science Square Labs tenant space on Level 1 of the Shriners building. The single tenant will occupy about 1,657 sq ft, which adds to the growing lab footprint in the area.
- 85 Centennial Olympic Park Dr NW: Permit accepted to assemble and install shade canopy structures #3 through #11. You'll see more cover at the park soon, and you may hear some installation work while crews put them up.
- 152 Luckie St NW: Issued permit for a 30x60 tent and a 20x30 tent. Something is being set up outdoors, so watch for event activity and extra foot traffic on the block.
- 1 Baltimore Pl NW: Level II interior alteration with a reconfiguration of an existing business office suite. The permit is ready to issue, and the suite is still occupied, so the work will happen around current tenants.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Downtown Connector resurfacing — Crews are repaving I-75/I-85 from the CSX rail crossing to the Brookwood Interchange. GDOT lists the work as about 97% complete.
- I-75 lighting from I-85 to Memorial Dr — Crews are finishing the switch to LED lighting along the Downtown Connector between I-85 and Memorial Drive. GDOT lists the work as about 97% complete.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs (Non-Emergency): You'll find 17 reports, with problem signals at Pryor St and Wall St, Forsyth St NW, Ivan Allen Jr Blvd and Williams St, Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, and Pine St and Centennial Olympic Park Dr. Twelve more locations round out the list.
- Traffic Signal Repairs (Emergency): Four urgent reports came in at Marietta St and Peachtree St (2 reports), Decatur St and Peachtree St, and Capitol Ave and Memorial Dr SE. If you drive through the Peachtree corridor, expect some signal trouble.
- Litter Removal: Crews have three right-of-way cleanup requests at Pine St and Peachtree St, Windsor St SW and Whitehall St SW, and Peachtree Center Ave and John Wesley Dobbs Ave.
- Downed Trees: You'll see reports on Renaissance Pkwy NE and John Portman Blvd NE.
- Sign Repair, Replacement, or Installation: Two requests cover Peachtree Pl and Williams St, and Cone St NW and Marietta St NW.
- Potholes: One report came in at Williams St NW and Ted Turner Dr NW. Inspectors found no problem there.

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Until next week,
Downtown Busybody

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